What Happens Next
by Animelover231
Summary: Picks up right at the end of iLove You and follows Sam and Freddie's confusing relationship over the next few months afterwards.  Sort of angsty.


A/N So I was going through my documents tonight, and I found this short ficlet I wrote back in September the day after iLove You premiered, but I never finished it or uploaded it. It's still not technically done, but I like what I had so far so I'll post it for your reading pleasure. :P If for some reason you feel like finishing it, drop me a review!

Summary: Picks up right at the end of iLove You and follows Sam and Freddie's confusing relationship over the next few months afterwards. Sort of angsty.

"I love you."

Sam stopped in her tracks, feeling her breath catch and her heart rate increase. Had Freddie Benson really just uttered the three words she'd longed to hear from him for weeks? Months? Years? And right after they'd broken up of all times? She paused, forcing back the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"I love you too." She knew this with absolute certainty.

Sam saw the way he smiled at that, and she couldn't help herself. Even though they had just broken up, she walked straight towards him and captured his lips with her own. She felt him sigh into the kiss as their lips found a familiar pattern.

Freddie was elated and relieved that she once again seemed to read his mind and propose that they break up at midnight. He suggested going to his place since his mom was working that night. When the elevator opened, he took her hand and wordlessly led her through the dark, through his apartment and into his bedroom. As Freddie pulled her down onto the bed with him, their lips met in one of the most passionate kisses they had ever shared. Tongues collided, and he knew to savior every second of this time with her, his beautiful, feisty, amazing Sam Puckett.

By a cruel force of nature, time seemed to speed up and midnight came much too soon for the pair. They were laying side by side on his bed, their hair messes, gripping each other as if their lives depended on it.

Sam's eyes wandered over to the clock on his nightstand. "It's 12:07…" she breathed, her voice groggy.

Freddie gulped "I guess it is."

Sam knew she should move, but she felt rooted to the spot. No matter how different they were, being in Freddie's arms just felt so _right._ More right than anything had ever felt in her dysfunctional life before. She looked into the chocolate brown eyes that she loved so much and couldn't image herself not being with him anymore. All of a sudden, Sam felt something hot prickling her eyes. With horror, she realized that the tears that had pooled in her eyes were threatening to spill down her face. No matter what, Sam was a Puckett, and Pucketts did _not _cry. Especially not in front of Freddie. She tried in vain to hide her tears, but even in the darkness, Freddie could see the tears slowly fall down her face.

"Oh Sam…please don't cry. I…" Freddie's voice cracked, and he found himself crying real tears of his own. He lifted his palm to her cheek, using his thumb to brush away the tears that had managed to escape. He left his hand there, stroking her cheek gently. "I love you, Sam. Just because it didn't work out right now between us doesn't mean it never will. I will always love you, Samantha Puckett."

Sam sniffed, forcing herself to blink back the rest of her tears. "You really mean that?"

Freddie smiled at that line that she had used twice on that fateful day in Troubled Waters. "I do."

This was possibly the only thing that could've given Sam the willpower to disentangle herself from him. She started to pull away, but as she was sitting up Freddie grabbed her arm. She turned to him, raising her eyebrows.

"Stay Sam. Just for tonight…. please. Then in the morning I promise we'll be broken up. Please…"

Sam hesitated, biting her lip. She knew she should refuse, that this was only going to end up hurting them both even more in the long run, but as she looked at his stricken face, practically begging her…she knew there was no way she could say no. She nodded, settling back down into the bed and laying her head on Freddie's chest. Freddie sighed in relief, and kissed the top of her head. He was so mentally exhausted from the days events that it didn't take him long to fall asleep. It took Sam much, much longer before she was able to tear her eyes away from his slumbering form and let sleep claim her.

When Sam woke up in the morning, Freddie was still sleeping, one arm still draped around her as if he didn't want to let her go. As quietly as she could, Sam slipped out of the bed and made her way to the other side of his bed. She looked down at Freddie one last time and felt her heart swell. She knew that the love she felt for Freddie was real and powerful, and wasn't going to go away. And one last time, Sam leaned down and kissed Freddie's lips.

"I love you Fredward Benson. So very much…"

She turned around quickly and snuck out of his room, casting back one more glance in his direction before shutting the door. This time, she didn't stop the tears from streaming down her face as she made her way across the hall and let herself into the Shay apartment, crashing on the familiar couch. She knew she was going to need to talk to her best friend soon. Spencer found her curled up a few hours later and gently covered her with a blanket. He knew from the tear marks that streaked her face that she was going to need his little sister.

Freddie stirred at the feel of her lips and the door shutting. He couldn't tell if he had just dreamt the last words he had heard Sam speak or not. He looked around, and saw that she was gone. Freddie sighed and buried his face in his hands. After all those years of chasing Carly, Freddie thought that he finally knew what a broken heart really felt like.

After that, things more or less went back to the way they had been before the lock-in. iCarly continued on, Spencer set more things on fire, and Gibby continued to be Gibby. Carly tried dating a super smart guy, but that failed miserably. They got to meet the First Lady of the United States, they had a run in with Nora the psycho fan again, and they visited a Fatcake factory in Canada. Things _appeared_ to be the same from anyone who looked in from the outside…but in reality, things were never again the same for Sam and Freddie. They loved each other, and they both knew it. Sam still teased him and called him names, but Freddie would just smile knowingly and continue their banter. Sometime their eyes would meet and they would hold each other's gaze for just a moment too long, before one of them would stammer and change the subject or look away. They tried too hard never to be alone, as the tension was almost too much for them to take.

Only Carly noticed these little changes, and she talked to Sam constantly about it. "But _why, _Sam? You know I wasn't talking about you guys, right?" She had to ask again one day a few weeks later, after she had noticed Sam's eyes lingering on Freddie during the iCarly rehearsal that afternoon.

"I know Carls, but it just wasn't the right time for us to work out. You saw how weird we acted…we weren't even being us."

"But you still love him, don't you?" Sam shifted uncomfortably and cast her eyes to the floor.

"I do...more than anything. Except maybe ham. But maybe he doesn't feel the same way about me anymore-"

"Stop that Sam. You know just as well as I do that he does. Anyone can tell just by the way he looks at you. So when are you guys going to swallow your pride and try to get back together?"

Sam turned her back to the brunette and paused at the door to the studio. "I don't know Carly…Your guess is as good as mine. When the time is right I guess, if he still wants me at all."

The weeks turned into months, and although both Freddie and Sam had gotten multiple dating offers, neither of them had seen anyone else. For Sam, no one compared to their geeky yet adorable tech producer, and for Freddie every other girl just seemed boring and plain when compared to Sam. Every time one of them would accidently brush the other's skin, it felt like flames erupted between them. The unresolved sexual tension was becoming almost too much for Freddie to handle, and he knew that he couldn't last much longer with the way things were and that something was going to have to change…soon. It wasn't until one weekend several months later that something happened that neither of them could ignore.

Spencer had suggested with the nicer weather approaching that they all take a drive to the beach for a day. Which is how Freddie found himself unable to tear his eyes away from a certain blonde as she laughed in the water with Carly. He was supposed to be helping Spencer and Gibby construct the ultimate sandcastle, but he was having quite difficulty concentrating. Finally he stood up, flustered, and announced he was going to go buy some ice cream from the cart back by the parking lot. As he turned to leave, Sam noticed and decided to see what he was up to. She also couldn't stop staring at Freddie ever since he had taken his shirt off. Carly just smiled and said "good luck" when Sam told her she'd be right back.

"Hey," Sam smiled as she caught up to him. "Where ya going?"

"Umm, just to buy some ice cream." Freddie said, even more flustered that the reason he was leaving had followed him. "Want to come?"

"Why, need to cool off nub?" She laughed, not realizing the effect her words had on him. He rolled his eyes, hoping she didn't notice his blush. "Mama could go for some ice cream, but I need to get some of this sand and ocean water off me first. I feel gross, which for me is saying something." They stopped at a bathroom, which had an outdoor shower on the wall.

Sam pulled the rope and stepped into the stream of water that followed. "Ahh, that feels good…" She closed her eyes.

Freddie couldn't control himself any longer. His eyes practically bulged out of his head as he watched her rub her arms with her eyes closed. She was so beautiful and perfect, and she literally had the most amazing body Freddie had ever seen.

Sam opened her eyes and noticed Freddie staring at her. She uncharacteristically blushed. "Take a picture, it'll last longer dork," she mumbled. Freddie remained rooted to the spot, unblinking. "Freddie..?"

And then something finally broke in Freddie, similar to the way something had finally broken in Sam that night at the lock in. He strode forward, his right hand grabbing her waist and the other hand grabbing her upper arm as he pushed her against the wall and forcefully pressed his lips to hers. Sam was taken by surprise, and didn't move for a second until her senses kicked in and she closed her eyes and started kissing him back. Their lips moved against each other, and his tongue begged for entrance into her mouth, which she willingly granted him. Freddie felt so good. This was like heaven, only better than he could have ever dreamed of. He was distinctly aware of the fact that they were outside in a public beach practically naked where anyone could see them, but at that moment he really didn't care. He grabbed Sam's hair, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself even closer so that there was no space left between their bodies. Freddie moaned when Sam bit his lower lip, and she decided right then that that sound was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

Sam finally pulled away when she started feeling lightheaded. They kept their faces close and arms around each other, both panting slightly. Sam looked up at him. "What…was…that…?"

Freddie froze. "I-I..I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He stepped away. "I'm…going to…ice cream…" he stammered. And he turned and bolted in the other direction before Sam could say anything else. Freddie had no idea if Sam still loved him or not, and he didn't want to hurt even the tense relationship they had now. He knew he couldn't live without her in his life, and he was so terrified of losing her altogether he didn't know what to do.

Sam stood there, still dripping from the shower, and watched him walk away. She could have chased him and demanded an explanation, but she was still in shock over what happened. She slowly made her way back to the water to where Carly was waiting.

"So, what happened? I want deets!"

Sam shook her head. "He kissed me…but then he just walked away. He said it was a mistake. Why would he do that? He just must not feel the same way I do. Damn him!" She punched the surface of the water for emphasis.

Carly gasped. "Aww Sam, I'm sure that's not it. He's probably just worried about what you would think and he didn't know how to react. I can talk to him if you want-"

"No," Sam said, snapping her head up. "No, he clearly doesn't want a relationship with me, so don't say anything to him. Please Carly, just don't."

Carly looked at her best friend's sad face. "If that's really what you want. Come here." She wrapped her arms around Sam. Carly loved Freddie like a brother, but sometimes she thought he could be pretty dense.


End file.
